It's been three years since Explosions in Ward 6, but lo and behold, Pig Destroyer aren't done quite yet. After heaps of 7"'s, and a cozy li'l discography CD on Relapse, these jolly jumpers are back with a new full-length of whimsical evening-massacre tunes.

Now, what can one expect when popping in this, or any other, release by this band? Well, thanks to the fact that Agoraphobic Nosebleed guitarist Scott Hull is prominent in this guitar/drums/vocals trio, you shouldn't be surprised when I fling out the ol' grindcore word, will you? Don't worry though, Pig Destroyer aren't your average, mediocre "5000 blasts per second, our-riffs-are-so-insane-that-they-all-sound-the-same-hey-that-rhymes!" grind. No sir, you'll find neat influences from all over the place here. Well, not all over the place as I can't remember there being much disco on this disc. Nonetheless, you'll get a tremendously well-executed grind disc that is catchy and full of neat bits here and there that catch you off guard, whether it's groovy riffs or screwed up "eeevil" bits.

Scarily enough for a grind disc, the lyrics don't suck either. I'll do you one better even and say they're downright neatokeen. In a genre riddled with halfassed gore, porn, political lyrics, it's nice to see a band just tap into the "psycho" vein. I mean, this isn't just gore-psycho stuff, but disturbing and somewhat unnerving! I can't remember the last time I got this feeling from reading lyrics, but it sure wasn't thanks to Exhumed. Anyhoo, admittedly you'll not be able to make out the lyrics too well, since the vocals are, after all, not of the kindergarten-singalong-tape variety, rather reminding me of a nice mix of Animal Planet's "Predators going for your jugular" tape series. These are splendid vocals that'll be bound to make you go "Sir, I say, this can't be good for thy throat, eh? Eh? Well, I'll be!", as you nod along and generally enjoy it. Unless you don't enjoy it, in which case you probably won't nod along. What do you mean you don't enjoy it? Boo! Generally, though, this is an album I think both hardcore grindfans, who probably already have heard it, will digm, but also the casual "yeah, World Downfall is pretty cozy, and I do enjoy snuggling up with Scum now and then, but that's about it for me" guys should give this band of merry slayers a chance.

If an evening with madly pissed off, well played music sounds like your cup of vomit, you should without a doubt pick up this disc, as it's the most fun you'll have with your knife sheathed.

Oh, and if you happen to find this in a store, open up the jewelcase and read the enclosed short story. That insane story alone is almost reason enough to buy this swell album.

Review by Øystein H-O

Review date: 12/2001

Back to top 

Pig Destroyer makes me happy.

Yes, decent grindcore bands are few and are between. Truly excellent grindcore bands are practically scarce. Pig Destroyer, to me, has always existed on the uppermost plateau of that particular genre. Their proper debut, Prowler in the Yard, was intriguing not only for its punishing music and unfettered aggression, but also for frontman J.R. Hayes’ lyrical aspirations, which moved far beyond Joe Retarded Metalhead’s flare for the adolescent in favor of fascinating but no less eerie insights into the minds of killers, rapists, and general ne’er-do-wells.

Terrifyer takes this blueprint and builds upon it, crafting two album’s worth of truly twisted material. The first disc is in keeping with the Pig Destroyer idiom. It is comprised of very short songs that are insanely heavy, fast, and aggressive with J.R. Hayes hollering and screaming his way through them, but, smart songwriters that they are, PD is not afraid to slow down the pace in order to make way for some truly great grooves (“Gravedancer” is a good example of this). At thirty-two minutes, this disc does not overstay its welcome. The second disc is where things really get interesting. “Natasha” is a thirty-seven minute concept “song” telling the story of one man’s past “indiscretion” coming back to haunt him (for fear of spoiling it I will write no further on the subject). Unlike on the grinding insanity of the first disc, Pig Destroyer slows things down to a lumbering pace that would make Eyehategod proud. Peppering their sludgy doom metal with mind-bending sound effects and noise, not to mention whispers, shrieks, and moans from Hayes, the band provides a worthy soundtrack to his haunting tale. The biggest surprise comes at around the sixteen minute mark, where creepy feedback gives way to peaceful, repetitive clean guitar and some pleasant falsetto singing that floats softly in the background.

While my hyperbole above will probably lead one to believe that this album is the second coming, the nature of the genre itself keeps me from returning to it on a day to day basis, but like its predecessor, whenever I want to hear an album of this style, I will look no further than Terrifyer.

Review by Alec A. Head

Review date: 06/2007

Back to top